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I have recently been making, burning, and giving away candles with the word “peace” written on them with crystals embedded in the soft candle wax as a way to spread love and goodwill. I highly recommend this practice, which you can do for yourself using crystals of your choice.

If possible, perform this spell during the night of the full moon for the greatest effect. Place your newly made peace candle on your altar and light some rose incense, which represents love and unity. Then, light the candle and chant:

Carving symbols onto your candles is a simple and profound way to deepen your magic. What symbols are meaningful to you? Certain crosses, vines, flowers, hieroglyphs, and many other images have deep magical associations, so you should feel free to delve in and experiment to find the symbols that work best for you in your spells. The term “sigils” is derived from the word seal. A sigil is a magical glyph or symbol that is used in ritual to deepen focus or intensify magical powers. Methods for devising sigils for spellwork include using the planetary glyphs of astrology, runes, Enochian tablets, letters, numbers, or even mystical cyphers such as hermetic crosses or kabalistic signs.

If you are like me and have the artistic skill of a toddler, you can simply carve hearts, suns, and stars into the sides of your pillar candles. Whenever I am feeling low or distressed, I cast the following sigil spell. I take a bright yellow pillar candle and carve a sun into the side. Then I light my candle and intone:

In the 1970s, Wonder Woman (played by Lynda Carter) inspired many girls--including me. In this episode of the Pop Tarot Podcast I fly solo (in my Invisible Jet!), sharing different aspects of this iconic TV show...and how they connect to various Tarot cards. 

Listen in below:

This oil stimulates desire and prowess in men. For women, follow the same instructions, but instead of the ginseng and yohimbe (which are greatly stimulating to men), substitute pinches of saffron and ground dong quai (also known as angelica root), long honored in the orient as a tonic for females.

In a favorite bottle or jar, ideally red or pink, mix together the following recipe with a silver spoon:

Food is such an important facet of human culture and a great way to connect with others. It's also a fabulous way to make a long-ago culture feel more real.

I've shared about Minoan food and cooking before, here and here. Today, I'm going to go all "ancient food blogger" on you with an actual recipe.

Narcissus oil has roots in classical Greek mythology and is indeed a visionary essence. It takes you to the realm of imagination. If you want to have intense dreams to feed your creativity, narcissus can bring those to you. Use it in conjunction with more grounding essential oils so you can also attend to practical matters as you explore.

Neroli oil is extracted from the bitter orange tree, originally found in Egypt, Algeria, France, and Spain. This essence contains regenerative qualities, making it a perfect topical to alleviate upset skin and even reduce redness. It is a goddess oil with a gentle feminine energy that both lifts emotions and helps overcome fear and worry. It can be used to get messages from dreams as well as astral travel.

 Halloween Guy

“Steve?”

My neighbor looks deeply troubled. I go over to see what's wrong.

He's been up all night. His wife of 60-some years has just died.

I listen to his story, and say the things that one says.

My neighbor is a good man. His life has been one of undeserved tragedy.

Years ago, a motorcycle accident reduced his son to a permanent vegetative state. His daughter struggled with cancer and eventually overcame it, only to die recently of a sudden heart attack. Now, with his wife's death, everything that this man has ever loved has been taken from him, everything.

It's mid-October, and the guy next door—every block seems to have one—is the Halloween Guy. His front yard is mocked up as a faux cemetery: gray styro tombstones spiked into the crisp autumn lawn with glib little ha-ha inscriptions, skeleton hands erupting from the soil, plastic bones strewn between.

I'm struck by the gap between this silly cartoon of death and the immensity of the real thing. It seems, simultaneously, a mockery and, in its sheer fatuousness, utterly beneath notice.